Asian stories to be presented on stage

Friday, September 10, 2010

Asian Folk Tales, a collection of stories from Korea, Japan and Taiwan, will be presented by Northwestern College theatre Oct. 1 at 7 p.m. and Oct. 2 at 4 p.m. in the Allen Theatre. The cast is also presenting Asian Folk Tales to schoolchildren every Tuesday and Thursday from Sept. 30 to Nov. 11.

Northwestern theatre professor Karen Bohm Barker is directing the family-friendly production. The themes of the stories presented are similar to fairy tales and folk stories from many cultures, including Western culture. Mirror of Matsuyama, for example, features a wicked stepmother like Cinderella’s, and The Stonecutter resembles The Fisherman and His Wife.

Tongue-Cut Sparrow showcases the pitfalls of greed while Little Frog in the Well opens one’s eyes to the world beyond one’s immediate experience. The Boy Who Drew Cats is about salvation through art, and The Story Spirits argues that stories are meant to be shared.

Three Northwestern students from Asia, Wincy Ho, from Tai Wai, Hong Kong; Yuika Ida, Tottori-ken, Japan; and Huiyu Lin, Yilan City, Taiwan, worked with Barker to select the stories. In addition, Lin is designing the costumes with both a traditional Asian and anime style, and Ida is acting in the production. The ensemble cast also includes local students Hannah Barker, Orange City, and Abigail Bierly, Hull.

Tickets for Asian Folk Tales are $7 for adults and $4 for students. Northwestern alumni can attend the production for free on Saturday, Oct. 2, in honor of the college’s Homecoming celebration.

The DeWitt Theatre box office opens Sept. 20 for Theatre Patrons; it is open Sept. 21 through Oct. 2 for the general public. Tickets, including free tickets for alumni, can be reserved by visiting the box office between 4 and 9 p.m. Monday through Friday or between noon and 5 p.m. on Saturday. The box office can also be reached by phone, 712-707-7098, or e-mail, boxoffice@nwciowa.edu.